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Cup and Cover
ca. 1890 (made)
ca. 1890 (made)
Artist/Maker Rückert, Fyodor (maker)
Place of origin Moscow (made)
At the end of the nineteenth century Russian silver was strongly influenced by traditional forms; this cup is derived from examples made in Russia in the mid-eighteenth century. Rückert was a highly successful enameller who sold much of his production to Fabergé.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Brief description Silver-gilt and enamel. Moscow, maker Fedor Rückert I, 1890.
Physical description A gilded silver cup and cover, cloisonné enamelled decoration, each lobe alternating with bulbous flowers, foliage, and Alkonosts, in blue, red, pink and green enamels on a turquoise enamel ground, within silver-gilt rope-twisted structure, with domed foot and cover and finial in the form of an Imperial eagle formed from two crowned eagles surmounted by another crown, one holding an orb, the other a sceptre.
Dimensions Height: 34.2cm
Diameter: 10.2cm (Note: Diameter of the base of the cup)
Diameter: 7.2cm (Note: Diameter of cover.)
Width: 10.5cm (Note: Approximate measurement at widest point.)
Marks and inscriptions Moscow town mark ca.1890
Mark of Fedor Rückert 1
Credit line The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
This cup and cover is typical of Russian taste, in the second half of the 19th century, for historicism and revival of Russian art. Its form is derived from 18th century Russian examples, themselves inspired by 17th German production, while the iconic cloisonné enamel technique was developed in the 16th Century.
Its bulbous flowers and ‘harpies’, called Alkonost and Sirin, are also part of Russian Folklore and evoked ideas of Russianness. These birds with the heads of women are after the Greek myth of the Syrens who lead men to despair and death for they just want to hear them sing.
Feodor Ruckert was particularly favoured for such objects in traditional Russian style, embellished by his exceptional talents as enamel painter. He was active from about 1890 until 1917, and sold the greater part of his production to Carl Faberge, other pieces directly to Customer, or through other dealers, as for instance Kurlyukov. Feodor had a very individual style, using pastel tones instead of bright polychrome colours, to which he added Art Nouveau elements, instead of copying strictly the earlier models.
Provenance:
Sotheby's New York, Faberge, Russian Works of Art, Objects of Vertu and Silver sale, 14 June 1989, lot 346
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Summary At the end of the nineteenth century Russian silver was strongly influenced by traditional forms; this cup is derived from examples made in Russia in the mid-eighteenth century. Rückert was a highly successful enameller who sold much of his production to Fabergé.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Bibliographic references Chapman, Martin. The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver. Recent Acquisitions 2. Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) 1991, cat. no. U.
Exhibited: San Antonio Museum, 1989 Los Angeles County Museum, 1991 – 1995 Somerset House, 2000-2007
Muntyan, Tatiana. Carl Fabergé & Feodor Rückert: Masterpieces of Russian Enamel. Moscow: Federal State-Budget Cultural Institution "The Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum and Heritage Site", 2020, p.27
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Other numbers SG 267 - Arthur Gilbert Number
SG 311 - Arthur Gilbert Number
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number LOAN:GILBERT.8:1-2008
Record created June 26, 2008
Record URL https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O157656/cup-and-cover-rückert-fyodor/